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{
    "id": 861474,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/861474/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 345,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Langat",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13189,
        "legal_name": "Christopher Andrew Langat",
        "slug": "christopher-andrew-langat"
    },
    "content": "Article 186 of the Constitution deals with functions and powers of the national and county governments. Article 186(1) of the Constitution provides that- “Except as otherwise provided by this Constitution, the functions and powers of the national Government and the county governments, respectively, are as set out in the Fourth Schedule.” Article 186(4), further provides that- “For greater certainty, Parliament may legislate for the Republic on any matter.” Madam Temporary Speaker, I want to state that this particular Bill is very important and as far as the current situation is concerned, the position is as follows- Currently, there is no legislative framework, especially in regulating early childhood education in Kenya. The private sector also seems to have monopolized the provision of early childhood education in the country. This is despite the fact that public education caters for 90 per cent of the children in primary and secondary schools. The Basic Education Act, 2013 focuses on primary and secondary education and provides very little regulation for the crucial foundation needed to ensure the success of the education sector. There is, therefore, need to provide a robust legislative framework for the legislation of Early Childhood Education to ensure the quality, efficiency and uniformity of standards in the sector, so that all the children going to primary schools are relatively at par in all counties. I want to state also in conjunction to this that it has made it very hard for this House to do the oversight work on issues to do with ECDE, which is a devolved function in our counties, because of the absence of an effective framework that guides oversight of the same. Madam Temporary Speaker, the objectives of this Bill include the following. The principal objective of this Bill is to provide a framework for the establishment of a comprehensive early childhood development and education system by the Government, in line with the functions as set out under the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution. The Bill also seeks to provide a framework for the establishment of the infrastructure necessary to support the provision of quality Early Childhood Education. It further seeks to provide a framework for the establishment of appropriate early childhood care and education systems, including the implementation of programme models, standards and curriculum based on research and best practices. The Bill also seeks to foster partnership among the national Government, county government, private practitioners and other relevant stakeholders with an interest and expertise in early childhood care and education. Madam Temporary Speaker, the major provision of this particular Bill includes the following. The Bill specifically sets out the right of the child to education and imposes duties on the parents or guardians of the child, as well as teachers of the early childhood education centres, to ensure that children attend early childhood education centres. It also poses obligation on the national Government and county governments to The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}